2 Editorial El ECUADOR Y SUS ACUERDOS COMERCIALES En los últimos años, el Ecuador ha tenido una política comercial exterior, en la que le ha dado la espalda a las negociaciones internacionales, pues interrumpió la negociación del Acuerdo Comercial con los Estados Unidos, se retiró de la negociación del Acuerdo Conjunto con Colombia y Perú con la Unión Europea, permitiendo que los países vecinos cerraran sus Acuerdos, tanto con Estados Unidos como con la Unión Europea, tomando ventaja en la conquista de esos mercados. El año anterior, el país cambió su visión, y reinició con fuerza la negociación con la Unión Europea, habiendo concluido recientemente el Acuerdo Comercial con esa comunidad, habiendo manifestado nuestro Ministro de Comercio Exterior, que el Ecuador tendrá un mejor Acuerdo Comercial con la UE, que al que arribaron Colombia y Perú en su momento. ECUADOR AND ITS TRADE AGREEMENTS Over the last few years, Ecuador has had foreign trade policies in place which have meant turning away from international talks. The country cut short negotiations of a Trade Agreement with the United States, and withdrew from discussions regarding a Joint Agreement between Colombia, Peru and the European Union, thus permitting these neighbouring countries to finalize their Agreement, both with the United States and the European Union, and profit from entry to these markets. Last year, though, the country took on a different perspective. It actively resumed talks with the European Union, and has recently finalized its Trade Agreement with this community, our Foreign Trade Minister having expressed the view that Ecuador would now obtain a better EU Trade Agreement than Colombia and Peru had been able to reach at the time of their talks. Mientras el país y la UE negociaban el Acuerdo, el Ecuador adoptó medidas restrictivas a las importaciones, con el propósito de evitar la salida de divisas y nivelar su balanza comercial, medida que se instrumentó mediante la Resolución 116 del COMEX, que impone para 293 subpartidas arancelarias, la presentación de un certificado de calidad que avale la llegada de los productos importados, la medida ha generado gran polémica, ante la falta de Centros de Certificación designados. Ante esta situación, la Unión Europea, como parte de la negociación, solicitó al Gobierno Ecuatoriano flexibilizar este requisito, a lo que accedió el Gobierno, para no interrumpir las negociaciones comerciales, por lo que el Ministerio de Industrias y Productividad emitió un Acuerdo mediante el cual, se franqueaba la facilidad a los exportadores europeos, para que presenten una Declaración Juramentada que garanticen los requisitos de calidad, para cumplir con el certificado de calidad, en lugar de obtener este requisito en un Centro de Certificación designado. Colombia y Perú, socios comerciales del Ecuador en la Comunidad Andina, por más de cuatro décadas y a quienes se les ha venido obligando a obtener las certificaciones de calidad en los Centros de Certificación designados, han reclamado al Gobierno Ecuatoriano, acceder al mismo trato que el que disfrutan los exportadores europeos, fundamentados en los términos del Acuerdo de Cartagena. La política comercial exterior, es una herramienta que debe ser utilizada para el desarrollo del país, de manera que los exportadores ecuatorianos puedan favorecerse de ella, y acceder a los mercados que mayores beneficios le otorguen, por lo que el Gobierno debe actuar con la coherencia que ésta necesidad le impone. Dr. José Modesto Apolo During the time our country was debating this agreement with the EU, Ecuador adopted restrictive import measures, for the purpose of preventing currency outflow and enhancing the trade balance. This measure was implemented through COMEX Resolution 116 which, for 293 tariff categories, introduces the requirement to present a quality certificate endorsing the entrance of the imported products to our country. This measure has prompted much heated debate due to the lack of designated Certification Centers. In light of this situation and as part of its dialogue with Ecuador, the European Union requested greater flexibility from the Ecuadorian government with respect to this import requirement. So as not to disrupt the trade negotiations, the Government accepted their request. The Ministry of Industry and Productivity then issued a Decree through which ease of access was given to European exporters by means of a sworn declaration which assured the fulfillment of the quality requirements. This could be presented in lieu of the quality certificate itself, so as not to have to obtain this document from the designated Certification Centers. As Ecuador s Andean Community trade partners who had previously been obliged to obtain quality certificates from designated Certification Centers, Colombia and Peru have appealed to the Ecuadorian Government to be allowed the same dispensations as the European exporters enjoy, in function of the terms in the Cartagena Agreement. The country s foreign trade policy is a tool which should be used to promote the country s growth, so that Ecuadorian exporters are able to access those markets which confer the greatest benefits. For this reason, the government must act with all due consistency that this situation demands. 2

3 Registro Oficial Official Gazette ACTUACIONES JUDICIALES PARA HECHOS DE VIO- LENCIA CONTRA EL NUCLEO FAMILIAR A través de la Resolución No. 172 del Consejo Nacional de la Judicatura, publicada en el Registro Oficial Suplemento 351 del 09 de octubre de 2014, se expide el Reglamento de actuaciones judiciales para hechos y actos de violencia contra la mujer o miembros del núcleo familiar, a fin de regular a todos los sujetos que intervienen en el proceso judicial, evitando la re victimización y la impunidad. Cuando un hecho o acto de presunta violencia contra la mujer o miembros del núcleo familiar lleguen a conocimiento de la Fiscalía General del Estado, se asignará de forma inmediata un agente fiscal, quien solicitará la adopción de medidas de protección y su correspondiente notificación al presunto infractor a través de los miembros de la Policía Nacional o de su órgano especializado en violencia intrafamiliar. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS FOR DEEDS AND ACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY By means of Resolution No. 172 from the National Judiciary Council published in Supplement 351 of the Official Register of October 9 th 2014, the Regulations for legal proceedings for deeds and acts of violence against women or other immediate family members has been issued in order to regulate all entities which take part in the legal process, and so avoid victimization and impunity. When an alleged deed or act of violence against a woman or other member of the immediate family is brought to the attention of the State District Attorney s Office, an investigative officer is immediately assigned to the case, who will apply for protection measures to be taken and for the corresponding notification to be sent to the alleged offender, either via national police officers or through their specialist domestic violence unit. CONCESION DE INDULTO, CONMUTACION O REBAJA DE PENAS El Decreto Ejecutivo No. 461 (Registro Oficial Suplemento No. 351 del 09 de octubre de 2014), emite el Reglamento para Concesión de Indulto, Conmutación o Rebaja de Penas, con la finalidad de establecer y regular los procedimientos respectivos. El Indulto Presidencial es una facultad discrecional del Presidente de la República que consiste en otorgar la conmutación, rebaja o perdón del cumplimiento de penas, aplicable a personas que se encuentren privadas de su libertad en virtud de una sentencia ejecutoriada y que observen buena conducta posterior al delito. No podrán considerarse como posibles beneficiarios los ciudadanos sentenciados por la comisión de delitos de genocidio, tortura, desaparición forzada de personas, secuestro y homicidio por razones políticas o de conciencia. Sin embargo, se los podrá considerar como posibles beneficiados, en caso de poseer una enfermedad catastrófica o terminal debidamente comprobada. La solicitud de Indulto Presidencial se presentará por escrito ante el Ministro de Justicia, Derechos Humanos y Cultos. El beneficiario deberá manifestar expresamente su arrepentimiento por los actos cometidos y las disculpas a las víctimas del delito. THE GRANTING OF PARDONS, COMMUTATION OR REDUCTION OF SENTENCES Executive Order No. 461 (Supplement No. 351 of the Official Register of October 9 th 2014), has issued the Regulations for the Granting of Pardons, Commutation or Reduction of Sentences, in order to establish and regulate the corresponding procedures. The Presidential Pardon is a discretional power held by the President of the Republic which consists of granting the commutation, reduction or complete pardon of sentences to be served. This is applicable to people who have been incarcerated by virtue of a final judgment and who have maintained a clean record of behavior since committing the crime. Any citizens who have been sentenced before the crime commission for genocide, torture, forced disappearance of people, kidnapping and politically- or morally-motivated homicide may not be considered as potential beneficiaries of the Presidential Pardon. However, those suffering a duly verified serious or terminal illness may be considered as potential beneficiaries. Applications for Presidential Pardon must be presented in writing before the Secretary of Justice, Human Rights and Religious Creeds. The beneficiary must expressly state their regret for the acts committed and ask forgiveness of the victims of their crime. 3

4 Registro Oficial Official Gazette INSCRIPCION EN LINEA EN EL RUC DE SOCIEDADES Mediante Resolución del Servicio de Rentas Internas - SRI No. 777, publicada en el Registro Oficial Suplemento No. 351 del 09 de octubre de 2014, se emiten las normas para la inscripción en línea en el Registro Único de Contribuyentes RUC, aplicable a sociedades nacionales que se hayan constituido conforme al ordenamiento jurídico ecuatoriano. Una vez recibida y validada la información de las sociedades, en cumplimiento con los lineamientos técnicos y operativos establecidos para el efecto, el SRI procederá con la inscripción en línea y generará el respectivo número de RUC. La Administración Tributaria entregará el certificado de inscripción en el RUC de la sociedad a través de sus canales de asistencia, ya sea al momento de solicitar la clave de uso de medios electrónicos, o reimprimiendo el mismo en línea. DECLARACION Y PAGO DE OBLIGACIONES TRIBUTARIAS POR INTERNET La Resolución del SRI No. 806, (RO Suplemento No /Oct/14), contiene las normas para la declaración y pago de las obligaciones tributarias a través de internet. Para poder efectuar declaraciones de impuestos a través del internet, así como para acceder a la presentación de anexos, generación de consultas, certificaciones, actualizaciones, registros, entre otros servicios, el sujeto pasivo previamente deberá firmar el acuerdo de responsabilidad y uso de medios electrónicos aprobado para el efecto, en el que aceptará todas las condiciones relacionadas a la utilización de "Claves de Usuario" y de la tecnología a utilizarse. Tanto el sujeto pasivo como el contador que obtengan una clave serán considerados como titulares de la misma, debiendo cumplir con las obligaciones derivadas de tal titularidad, cualquier uso indebido será exclusiva responsabilidad del sujeto pasivo o del contador titular de dicha clave o en su defecto de su respectivo representante legal. ONLINE REGISTRATIONS OF TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS FOR COMPANIES By means of the Inland Revenue Service Resolution IRS No. 777, published in Supplement No. 351 of the Official Register of October 9 th 2014, regulations for the online registration of the Taxpayer Identification Number (or RUC by its initials in Spanish) have been issued. These are applicable to national companies which have been formed in accordance with the Ecuadorian legal system. Once the company s information has been received and validated in accordance with the technical and operational guidelines produced for this purpose, the IRS will proceed with the online registration and create the respective Taxpayer Identification Number (RUC). The Tax Administration will deliver the registration certificate for the company s Taxpayer Identification Number (RUC) through its usual customer service channels, either at the time of requesting a password for use on the electronic systems, or by reprinting this online. DECLARATION AND PAYMENT OF TAX OBLIGATIONS VIA INTERNET IRS Resolution No. 806, (Supplement No. 351 of the Official Register 09/Oct/14), contains rules for the declaration and payment of tax obligations via internet. Before making any tax declarations online, or accessing web pages for, among other services, the submission of annexes or the generation of queries, certificates, updates and records, the taxpayer must previously have signed the agreement about responsibility and the use of electronic media approved for this purpose. In this agreement they accept all of the conditions related to the handling of the User Password and the technology to be used. Both the taxpayer and the accountant who receive the password will be considered to be holders of the password, and must comply with the obligations arising from such ownership. Any improper use will be the sole responsibility of the taxpayer or accountant holding this password or, otherwise, of his respective legal representative. 4

5 Registro Oficial Official Gazette REGISTRO DE CONTRATOS DE TRABAJO Y ACTAS DE FINIQUITO Por medio del Acuerdo Ministerial No. MRL , publicado en el Registro Oficial Suplemento No. 358 del 21 de octubre de 2014, el Ministerio de Relaciones Laborales (MRL), emitió el Reglamento para el Registro de Contratos de Trabajo y Actas de Finiquito, con la finalidad de agilitar los procedimientos a través del sistema informático para una mejor atención y servicio al ciudadano. Este procedimiento se realizará a través de la página web del MRL, siendo de aplicación obligatoria para todos los empleadores y trabajadores. En caso de incumplimiento, dentro del plazo señalado, la autoridad laboral competente notificará al empleador con una providencia preventiva de sanción, para que en el término de cinco días contados a partir de su notificación, ejerza el derecho a su defensa, vencido el cual, de no desvirtuar la infracción, se emitirá la resolución sancionatoria respectiva por un valor de doscientos dólares de los Estados Unidos de América -US $ 200,oo-; caso contrario, la resolución absolutoria. Para acceder a los sistemas mencionados, tanto empleadores como trabajadores deberán generar un usuario y una clave secreta utilizando los sistemas de la página web del Ministerio de Relaciones Laborales. REGLAMENTO DE AUDIENCIAS, CONTENIDOS EN MEDIOS DE COMUNICACION El Pleno del Consejo de Regulación y Desarrollo de la Información y Comunicación CORDICOM, expidió el reglamento para la definición de audiencias, franjas horarias, clasificación de programación y calificación de contenidos, mediante Resolución No. 31, publicada en el RO No. 354 del 15 de octubre del Este reglamento será de aplicación para todos los contenidos que se difunden en los medios de comunicación públicos, privados y comunitarios de radio y televisión, incluidos los sistemas de audio y video por suscripción que operen un canal propio. REGISTRATION OF EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS AND SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS By means of Ministerial Decree No. MRL , published in Supplement No. 358 of the Official Register of October 21 st 2014, the Ministry of Industrial Relations (MRL by its Spanish initials) has issued its Regulations for the Registration of Employment Contracts and Settlement Agreements with the aim of speeding up procedures through the use of an information system designed to provide a better service and improved attention for members of the public. This procedure is carried out on the MRL web page at and is mandatory for all employers and employees. In the case of non-compliance, the competent labor authority will notify the employer within a specified period of time invoking a preventative penalty measure. The right to defense may be exercised against this within a 5-day period from the moment of notification. Thereafter, if the infringement has not been discredited, a resolution for the respective sanction will be issued to the value of two hundred US dollars - $ USD, otherwise, the resolution will be annulled. In order to access the aforementioned systems, for both employers and employees, a user name and secret password must be created on the Ministry of Industrial Relations website. REGULATIONS FOR AUDIENCES AND MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS CONTENT In a Plenary Session of the Information and Communication Regulatory and Development Council (CORDICOM by its initials in Spanish), the regulations for the definition of audiences, time slots, classification of programming and the rating of contents was issued, by means of Resolution No. 31, published in the Official Register No. 354 of October 15 th These regulations will apply to all communication media content broadcast via public, private and community radio and television, including subscription video and audio networks which operate their own channels. 5

6 Comentario CLÁUSULAS DEL INSTITUTO DE LONDRES Y DEL INSTITUTO AMERICANO BAJO LA LUPA DE LA LEY ORGÁNICA DE DEFENSA DEL CONSUMIDOR Ab. Víctor Carrión Arosemena Con la entrada en vigor del nuevo Código Orgánico Monetario y Financiero 1, se han efectuado importantes reformas a la Ley General de Seguros (ley ahora incorporada como Libro III del referido Código). El artículo 25 de la Ley General de Seguros ( LGS ) ha sido sustituido, habiéndose añadido esta disposición en su último inciso: En todo contrato de seguro se entienden incorporadas las normas de la Ley Orgánica de Defensa del Consumidor. Se tendrá por no escrita toda cláusula que se oponga a las leyes, en perjuicio del asegurado, o a las prohibiciones que determine la Superintendencia conforme al inciso primero de este artículo. El presente artículo tiene por objeto analizar si esta disposición puede afectar la práctica común y generalizada de pactar por incorporación y referencia las cláusulas del Instituto de Londres y del Instituto Americano en las pólizas de casco y transporte marítimo emitidas por las compañías de seguros ecuatorianas. Las cláusulas del Instituto de Londres (Institute Clauses) así como las del Instituto Americano (American Institute of Marine Underwriters) son ampliamente utilizadas y aceptadas por el mercado asegurador y reasegurador local y extranjero en la contratación de pólizas de casco y transporte marítimo. Por motivos prácticos, se estila anexar estos clausulados a las pólizas por referencia e incorporación, es decir, anotándose en el texto de la póliza la referencia al número de la correspondiente cláusula, e.g. Institute Time Clauses Cl. 280 o Protection and Indemnity Clauses Revised SP-23 (Revised 1/56 (Ocean). En el Ecuador toda póliza de seguros está conformada por tres tipos de estipulaciones: las condiciones generales, particulares y especiales 2. Las condiciones generales son aquellas que establecen los términos de la relación bilateral entre las partes en el contrato de seguros aplicables a todas y cada una de las futuras pólizas que celebre el asegurador las cuales, previo a su utilización en el mercado, deben ser aprobadas por el órgano controlador, la Superintendencia de Compañías, Valores y Seguros ( SCVS ), antes la Superintendencia de Bancos y Seguros ( SBS ) R.O. Segundo Suplemento 332, 12 de septiembre del Artículo 4 del capítulo IV del título IV de las Normas para la Estructura y Operatividad del Contrato de Seguro contenidas en el Libro II de la Codificación de Resoluciones de la Superintendencia de Bancos y Seguros (las Normas ). 3. Artículos , y de las Normas. Comment LONDON INSTITUTE AND AMERICAN INSTITUTE CLAUSES CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THE ORGANIC CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT With the entry into force of the new Organic Monetary and Financial Code,1 significant reforms have been made to the General Insurance Act (a law now incorporated as Book III of the aforementioned Code). Article 25 of the General Insurance Act (GIA) has been replaced, with the addition of this provision in the last paragraph: "The provisions of the Organic Consumer Protection Act are hereby understood to be incorporated in every insurance contract. Any clause contrary to law, to the detriment of the insured, or contrary to any prohibitions determined by the Superintendent pursuant to the first paragraph of this article, shall be deemed as not having been written." This article attempts to examine whether this provision can affect the common and widespread practice of stipulating by incorporating and referring to the clauses of the London Institute and the American Institute in marine hull and cargo policies issued by insurance companies in Ecuador. The clauses of the London Institute (Institute Clauses) and those of the American Institute (the American Institute of Marine Underwriters) are widely used and accepted in marine hull and cargo insurance policy procurement in local and foreign insurance and reinsurance markets. For practical reasons, it is customary to annex these clauses to the policies "by reference and incorporation," meaning that the reference to the corresponding clause number is noted in the text of the policy; e.g. "Institute Time Clauses Cl. 280" or "Protection and Indemnity Clauses Revised SP-23 Revised 1/56 (Ocean)." In Ecuador, all insurance policies are comprised of three types of stipulations: general, particular and special.2 General conditions establish the terms of the bilateral relationship between the parties to the insurance contract that are applicable to any and all future policies issued by the insurer and, prior to their use in the market, must be approved by the regulatory agency, the Superintendency of Companies, Securities and Insurance (SCVS in Spanish), formerly the Superintendency of Banking and Insurance O.G. Second Supplement 332, September 12, Article 4 of Chapter IV of Title IV of the "Rules for the Structure and Applicability of the Insurance Contract" contained in Book II of the Consolidated Resolutions of the Superintendency of Banks and Insurance (the "Rules"). 3. Articles , and of the Rules. 6

11 Comentario Comment En mi opinión no todos los contratos de seguros debieran ser considerados como contratos para consumidores y, por tanto, sometidos a la LODC. Existen razones para hacer una distinción entre, por un lado, seguros para comerciantes y profesionales y, por otro lado, seguros para consumidores, lo anterior, dado que los comerciantes tienen mayor poder de negociación con las compañías de seguros a diferencia de personas que no realizan actividades económicas o profesionales. Adicionalmente, los comerciantes y profesionales tienen mayor conocimiento sobre los riesgos a los que están expuestos sus negocios y, consecuentemente, mayor conocimiento y capacidad para negociar aquellas condiciones que les convengan o no. Esta distinción podría todavía sobrevivir dependiendo de cómo se reconcilie la definición de consumidor entre la LODC y su Reglamento. Nos referimos a lo siguiente: el artículo 2 de la LODC define al consumidor como toda persona natural o jurídica que como destinatario final adquiera, utilice o disfrute bienes o servicios, o bien reciba oferta para ello. Cuando la presente Ley mencione al consumidor, dicha denominación incluirá al usuario. Esta definición, como se aprecia, pretendió proteger a la mayor cantidad de personas, y excluir, aparentemente, solo a los intermediarios. Sin embargo, el Reglamento dictado posteriormente redujo considerablemente el ámbito de aplicación al excluir de la definición de consumidor a todas aquellas personas naturales o jurídicas que reciban oferta de bienes o servicios para emplearlos en la explotación de actividades económicas con fines de lucro o en beneficio de sus clientes o de terceros a quienes ofrezcan bienes o servicios 22, adicionando que las causales de la ley por las que una cláusula o estipulación es nula no son aplicables a aquellos contratos en que por su naturaleza las partes tienen la posibilidad de negociar o acordar su alcance o contenido. 23 Para citar un caso práctico, de seguirse el esquema de la LODC resultaría que una compañía dedicada a actividades de pesca que contrata un seguro de casco para su barco constituiría un típico consumidor final ya que no intermedia en la colocación del seguro. Sin embargo, de acuerdo con el Reglamento a la LODC, la misma compañía no gozaría de tal calidad ya que una compañía armadora dedicada a actividades de pesca contrata el seguro para poder explotar sus actividades económicas 24. De igual manera, si bien las condiciones generales de una póliza no se negocian ya que aplican para todos los futuros contratos de un determinado ramo, las condiciones especiales sí, de manera que, de conformidad con el Reglamento, éstas no estarían afectas por el artículo 43 de la LODC. 22. Artículo 1 del Reglamento a la LODC. 23. Artículo 45 del Reglamento a la LODC. 24. Sin la contratación de un seguro, un empresario de negocios de pesca tendría que reservar dinero o bienes para cubrir contingencias, e.g. la pérdida total del buque, lo cual afectaría su balance financiero. Una cobertura de seguro suple esa necesidad, facilita su capacidad de financiamiento y, por tanto, la explotación económica de su negocio. In my opinion not all insurance contracts should be considered consumer contracts and, therefore, subject to the OCPA. There are reasons to make a distinction between, on the one hand, insurance for business people and professionals and, on the other hand, for consumers. Business people have greater bargaining power with insurance companies as opposed to people who do not engage in economic or professional activities. Further, business people and professionals are more knowledgeable about the risks to which their businesses are exposed and, consequently, they are more aware and able to negotiate conditions that suit them or not. This distinction may still survive depending on how the definition of "consumer" in the OCPA and its Regulations is reconciled. I refer to the following: OCPA Article 2 defines a consumer as "any natural person or legal entity that, as the end user, purchases, uses or enjoys good or services, or who otherwise receives an offer therefor. When this Act refers to the consumer, that designation shall include the user." This definition, as is evident, was intended to protect the greatest number of people and exclude, apparently, only brokers. However, the Regulations issued later on significantly reduced the scope of application to exclude from the definition of consumer "all those natural or legal persons receiving the offer of goods or services for use in carrying on economic activities for profit or the benefit of their customers, clients or third parties to whom they offer goods or services," adding that the legal reasons for which a clause or stipulation is void do not apply to contracts in which, by their nature, the parties are able to negotiate or agree on their scope or contents. To cite a practical case, if the OCPA standard is followed, it would mean that a company devoted to fishing activities that purchases hull insurance for its boat would be a typical end consumer because it does not broker the placement of insurance. However, according to the OCPA Regulations, such a company would not be entitled to such a capacity because a ship-operating company engaged in fishing activities takes out insurance to be able to carry on its business. Similarly, although the general conditions of a policy are not negotiated, because they apply to all future contracts of a particular line, the special conditions are negotiated, and thus, in accordance with the Regulations, they would not be affected by OCPA Article Article 1 of the OCPA Regulations. 23. Article 45 of the OCPA Regulations. 24. Without taking out insurance, a fishing business entrepreneur would have to set aside money or property to cover contingencies; e.g., the total loss of the vessel, which would affect his bottom line. Insurance coverage fills that need, facilitates his funding ability and, therefore, the economic operation of his business. 11

12 Comentario Comment Al final del día, todo dependerá de cómo las Cortes interpreten conjuntamente la LODC y su Reglamento, debiendo, sin embargo, tener en cuenta que de conformidad con el artículo 1 de la LODC, en caso de duda en la interpretación de la ley se aplicará aquella que sea más favorable al consumidor. De momento, y hasta que exista una posición clara al respecto, los aseguradores y reaseguradores: 1. Deberán confirmar si las cláusulas del Instituto de Londres y del Instituto Americano con las que actualmente operan cuentan con la aprobación previa de la SCVS ya que, de no estarlo, no tendrían valor alguno en juicio; 2. Deberán procurar poner en conocimiento de los solicitantes de pólizas de seguros de casco y transporte marítimo y en general, de todos los ramos donde usualmente se pacten cláusulas por incorporación y referencia el texto íntegro de las respectivas cláusulas del Instituto de Londres o del Instituto Americano debidamente aprobadas y traducidas al idioma castellano, a fin de no correr el riesgo de que una Corte los declare nulos; y, 3. Finalmente, y dado que los reaseguradores acostumbran a incorporar en sus contratos de reaseguros facultativos las cláusulas originales del contrato de seguro, se recomienda que, previo a aceptar la colocación del reaseguro, verifiquen que los textos aprobados y traducidos al español de las cláusulas incorporadas en el contrato de seguro sean fieles a los textos originales en inglés, de manera que las coberturas en ambos contratos sean consistentes, evitando así overlaps involuntarios. At the end of the day, it all depends on how the courts interpret the OCPA and its Regulations, though we should keep in mind that, in accordance with OCPA Article 1, in case of doubt as to the interpretation of the law, that which is most favorable to the consumer is to be applied. For the time being, and until a clear position is taken, insurers and reinsurers: 1. must confirm whether the London or American Institute clauses they are currently operating with have the prior approval of the SCVS, and if not, they would have no value in a lawsuit; 2. must endeavor to inform applicants for marine hull and cargo insurance policies and, in general, all lines where clauses are stipulated by "incorporation and reference" of the full text of the relevant London or American Institute clauses duly translated into the Spanish language and approved, so as not to run the risk that a court will declare them null and void; and, 3. finally, since reinsurers usually incorporate the original clauses of the insurance contract into their facultative reinsurance contracts, it is advisable that, prior to accepting a reinsurance placement, they verify that the texts of the clauses approved and translated into Spanish and incorporated into the insurance contract are true to the original texts in English, so that the coverage in both contracts is consistent, thus avoiding unintentional overlaps. 12

13 Eventos Events PROCURADURIA GENERAL DEL ESTADO PRESENTÓ LIBRO SOBRE CASO OXY STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL LAUNCHES BOOK ABOUT THE OXY CASE El libro Caso Oxy: Defensa jurídica de una decisión soberana y en Derecho del Estado ecuatoriano, publicado por la Procuraduría General del Estado, fue presentado el pasado 17 de octubre, en la Capilla del Hombre en Quito, y contó con las intervenciones del Presidente de la República, economista Rafael Correa Delgado, y del Procurador General del Estado, doctor Diego García Carrión. Al evento asistieron representantes de los Poderes del Estado, del cuerpo diplomático y organismos internacionales acreditados en el país, asambleístas, ministros y secretarios de Estado, representantes de los gobiernos autónomos descentralizados y de diversas organizaciones sociales. El objetivo de esta publicación es poner a disposición de los ecuatorianos una memoria histórica de los hechos y sobretodo del derecho aplicable, en la forma como fue argumentada dentro del proceso arbitral iniciado por la petrolera, así como durante la etapa de anulación cuya decisión se espera para los próximos meses de parte del Comité de Anulación que fue nombrado para el efecto por el Centro CIADI. Dr. Diego García Carrión, Procurador General del Estado, junto al Dr. José Modesto Apolo T. A book called The OXY Case: Legal defense of a sovereign decision and in Ecuadorian State Law, published by the State Attorney General was launched last October 17 th at the Chapel of Humanity in Quito. The ceremony included contributions from the President of the Republic, economist Rafael Correa Delgado, as well as from the State Attorney General, Dr. Diego García Carrión. This event was attended by representatives from all branches of government, the diplomatic service and other international organizations accredited in the country, assembly members, ministers and state secretaries, as well as of autonomous decentralized governments and various social organizations. representatives The aim of this publication is to provide Ecuadorians with historical evidence of these events and, above all, highlight the way the applicable laws were stated within the arbitration process brought by the oil company, as well as during the annulation period, a decision on which is expected in the next few months from the Annulation Committee, which was nominated for this purpose by the CIADI Center. Pese a que el Tribunal determinó que la actuación OXY fue contraria a la ley, de manera contradictoria en su laudo condenó a Ecuador por considerar que la declaratoria de caducidad del contrato fue una sanción desproporcionada. El Dr. García Carrión, quien lideró la defensa de Ecuador frente a la petrolera, agradeció al Presidente Rafael Correa el compromiso de su Gobierno con una política de fortalecimiento y protección de los intereses nacionales. Fuente: Procuraduría General del Estado Despite the fact that the Tribunal found that OXY s actions had been against the law, its ruling was somewhat contradictory in condemning Ecuador, asserting that the written statement of the contract s lapse included a disproportionately large sanction. Dr. García Carrión, who led the defense of Ecuador against the oil company, thanked President Rafael Correa for the commitment of his government towards policies which strengthen and protect domestic interests. Source: State Attorney General 13

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